Category: Genesis

[47:27] The Israelites lived in Egypt in the region of Goshen, where they became rich and had many children.

[47:28] Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, until he was a hundred and forty-seven years old.

[47:29] When the time drew near for him to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “Place your hand between my thighs and make a solemn vow that you will not bury me in Egypt.

[47:30] I want to be buried where my fathers are; carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” Joseph answered, “I will do as you say.”

[47:31] Jacob said, “Make a vow that you will.” Joseph made the vow, and Jacob gave thanks there on his bed.

[48:1] Some time later Joseph was told that his father was ill. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to see Jacob.

[48:2] When Jacob was told that his son Joseph had come to see him, he gathered his strength and sat up in bed.

[48:3] Jacob said to Joseph, “Almighty God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me.

[48:4] He said to me, ‘I will give you many children, so that your descendants will become many nations; I will give this land to your descendants as their possession forever.’”

[48:5] Jacob continued, “Joseph, your two sons, who were born to you in Egypt before I came here, belong to me; Ephraim and Manasseh are just as much my sons as Reuben and Simeon.

[48:6] If you have any more sons, they will not be considered mine; the inheritance they get will come through Ephraim and Manasseh.

[48:7] I am doing this because of your mother Rachel. To my great sorrow she died in the land of Canaan, not far from Ephrath, as I was returning from Mesopotamia. I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath.” (Ephrath is now known as Bethlehem.)

[48:8] When Jacob saw Joseph's sons, he asked, “Who are these boys?”

[48:9] Joseph answered, “These are my sons, whom God has given me here in Egypt.” Jacob said, “Bring them to me so that I may bless them.”

[48:10] Jacob's eyesight was failing because of his age, and he could not see very well. Joseph brought the boys to him, and he hugged them and kissed them.

[48:11] Jacob said to Joseph, “I never expected to see you again, and now God has even let me see your children.”

[48:12] Then Joseph took them from Jacob's lap and bowed down before him with his face to the ground.

[48:13] Joseph put Ephraim at Jacob's left and Manasseh at his right.

[48:14] But Jacob crossed his hands, and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, even though he was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, who was the older.

[48:15] Then he blessed Joseph: “May God, whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac served, bless these boys! May God, who has led me to this very day, bless them!

[48:16] May the angel, who has rescued me from all harm, bless them! May my name and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac live on through these boys! May they have many children, many descendants!”

[48:17] Joseph was upset when he saw that his father had put his right hand on Ephraim's head; so he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to the head of Manasseh.

[48:18] He said to his father, “Not that way, father. This is the older boy; put your right hand on his head.”

[48:19] His father refused, saying, “I know, son, I know. Manasseh's descendants will also become a great people. But his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become great nations.”

[48:20] So he blessed them that day, saying, “The Israelites will use your names when they pronounce blessings. They will say, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way Jacob put Ephraim before Manasseh.

[48:21] Then Jacob said to Joseph, “As you see, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to the land of your ancestors.

[48:22] It is to you and not to your brothers that I am giving Shechem, that fertile region which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

[49:1] Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the future:

[49:2] “Come together and listen, sons of Jacob. Listen to your father Israel.

[49:3] “Reuben, my first-born, you are my strength And the first child of my manhood, The proudest and strongest of all my sons.

[49:4] You are like a raging flood, But you will not be the most important, For you slept with my concubine And dishonored your father's bed.

[49:5] “Simeon and Levi are brothers. They use their weapons to commit violence.

[49:6] I will not join in their secret talks, Nor will I take part in their meetings, For they killed people in anger And they crippled bulls for sport.

[49:7] A curse be on their anger, because it is so fierce, And on their fury, because it is so cruel. I will scatter them throughout the land of Israel. I will disperse them among its people.

[49:8] “Judah, your brothers will praise you. You hold your enemies by the neck. Your brothers will bow down before you.

[49:9] Judah is like a lion, Killing his victim and returning to his den, Stretching out and lying down. No one dares disturb him.

[49:10] Judah will hold the royal scepter, And his descendants will always rule. Nations will bring him tribute And bow in obedience before him.

[49:11] He ties his young donkey to a grapevine, To the very best of the vines. He washes his clothes in blood-red wine.

[49:12] His eyes are bloodshot from drinking wine, His teeth white from drinking milk.

[49:13] “Zebulun will live beside the sea. His shore will be a haven for ships. His territory will reach as far as Sidon.

[49:14] “Issachar is no better than a donkey That lies stretched out between its saddlebags.

[49:15] But he sees that the resting place is good And that the land is delightful. So he bends his back to carry the load And is forced to work as a slave.

[49:16] “Dan will be a ruler for his people. They will be like the other tribes of Israel.

[49:17] Dan will be a snake at the side of the road, A poisonous snake beside the path, That strikes at the horse's heel, So that the rider is thrown off backward.

[49:18] “I wait for your deliverance, Lord.

[49:19] “Gad will be attacked by a band of robbers, But he will turn and pursue them.

[49:20] “Asher's land will produce rich food. He will provide food fit for a king.

[49:21] “Naphtali is a deer that runs free, Who bears lovely fawns.

[49:22] “Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring, A wild colt on a hillside.

[49:23] His enemies attack him fiercely And pursue him with their bows and arrows.

[49:24] But his bow remains steady, And his arms are made strong By the power of the Mighty God of Jacob, By the Shepherd, the Protector of Israel.

[49:25] It is your father's God who helps you, The Almighty God who blesses you With blessings of rain from above And of deep waters from beneath the ground, Blessings of many cattle and children,

[49:26] Blessings of grain and flowers, Blessings of ancient mountains, Delightful things from everlasting hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, On the brow of the one set apart from his brothers.

[49:27] “Benjamin is like a vicious wolf. Morning and evening he kills and devours.”

[49:28] These are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said as he spoke a suitable word of farewell to each son.

[50:15] After the death of their father, Joseph's brothers said, “What if Joseph still hates us and plans to pay us back for all the harm we did to him?”

[50:16] So they sent a message to Joseph: “Before our father died,

[50:17] he told us to ask you, ‘Please forgive the crime your brothers committed when they wronged you.’ Now please forgive us the wrong that we, the servants of your father's God, have done.” Joseph cried when he received this message.

[50:18] Then his brothers themselves came and bowed down before him. “Here we are before you as your slaves,” they said.

[50:19] But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid; I can't put myself in the place of God.

[50:20] You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good, in order to preserve the lives of many people who are alive today because of what happened.

[50:21] You have nothing to fear. I will take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them with kind words that touched their hearts.

[50:22] Joseph continued to live in Egypt with his father's family; he was a hundred and ten years old when he died.

[50:23] He lived to see Ephraim's children and grandchildren. He also lived to receive the children of Machir son of Manasseh into the family.

[50:24] He said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly take care of you and lead you out of this land to the land he solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

[50:25] Then Joseph asked his people to make a vow. “Promise me,” he said, “that when God leads you to that land, you will take my body with you.”

[50:26] So Joseph died in Egypt at the age of a hundred and ten. They embalmed his body and put it in a coffin.